Local community media nonprofit Davis Media Access (DMA) has announced the inaugural members of its Yolo Local Working Group.
Known for its longtime civic engagement work, DMA has spent the past 18 months moving from “curiosity about how DMA could help the decline in locally available information, to concrete action towards that end,” said Autumn Labbé-Renault, DMA’s executive director and principal developer of the project.
“We believe the shrinking of local newsrooms and corresponding loss of vital news and information affects every aspect of community life. When information is scarce or inequitable, civic engagement is diminished and our communities suffer,” she said. “Davis Media Access is working to build a civic information project for Davis and beyond, and we’ve named this project Yolo Local.”
Though based in Davis, the organization has strategic partnerships across the county. The first phase of Yolo Local is a countywide community information needs assessment. Labbé-Renault said the goal is to better understand our local news and information ecosystem, both in terms of the “supply side” or information providers, as well as from the “demand side” of local residents’ information needs and preferences.
The assessment will take place over the next four months and include a bilingual survey, engagement at community events, focus groups, and listening sessions. To assist with this project, DMA has convened a Yolo Local Working Group. Members will bring their personal, professional, and community experiences to the space to inform and help build the work.
Members and their affiliations include:
- Spencer Bowen: Communication & Strategic Policies Manager, City of Woodland
- Bill Buchanan: Award-winning journalist; retired from UC Davis; Host and Producer of “Davisville” on KDRT
- Alejandra Cuevas Rash: PhD in Communication Studies; teacher; bilingual consulting; Ethnic Studies development, DJUSD
- Laura Galindo: Interim Public Information Officer, Yolo County; Office of Emergency Services; formerly Yocha DeHe Wintun Nation
- Linda Henigan: ED & Founder, Woodland’s Dinner on Main; Founder and former Executive Director, WAVE TV; fomerly Woodland Chamber of Commerce
- Anahi Monter: Program Director, Yolo County Children’s Alliance; extensive experience working with diverse cultural communities throughout county
- Leonie Pickett: Teacher (Da Vinci Charter Academy); City of Davis Human Relations Committee Vice Chair; UU Church of Davis
- Josh Redman: Solar Housing Association; Third Space art Collective; Food Not Bombs, Good and Weird Davis
- Jenny Tan: Director of Community Engagement, City of Davis; Board Member for Yolo Community Foundation, former Public Information Officer for Yolo County
- Anthony Volkar: Public Information Officer, Yolo County Office of Education; connected to 30,000 students throughout county
- Alyx Volzer: Business Owner, Massage Therapy Institute; Yolo Sol; LGBTQIA+, community organizer
Working Group members were vetted and selected by an ad hoc committee comprising DMA’s board, staff and volunteers. Labbé-Renault said the focus wasn’t on journalism experience for this phase, but on “individuals who are connectors, do-ers and committed to working collaboratively.” Labbé-Renault noted the need still for representation from Winters, rural Yolo County, and youth.
DMA's partners in this process are community-engaged journalist and Davis resident jesikah maria ross [she does not capitalize her name], and Boulder, CO-based Impact Architects, who are providing the framework and methodology for this undertaking. The project has received financial support from the City of Davis, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, and former Supervisor Jim Provenza, as well as private donors, and is actively pursuing other funding.
Labbé-Renault encouraged interested community members to email yololocal@davismedia.org to sign up for a forthcoming newsletter about the project.